Hyderabad: The expert committee formed by the Centre to study various alternatives regarding the new capital for Andhra Pradesh submitted its preliminary report to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday.
The five-member panel, headed by former Urban Development Secretary K C Sivaramakrishnan, had toured Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Guntur as part of its exercise to identify a new capital for Andhra Pradesh.
Sivaramakrishnan gave a power-point presentation to Naidu and top officials of the government on their assessment following the visit to the four main cities in coastal Andhra. However, the committee is said to have not specified its choice for the new capital yet.
According to official sources, the CM told the panel the capital city "must reflect our Telugu culture and ethos, who we are as people, what we wish to become and the path we choose". Naidu also said the capital should be "conveniently located and accessible to everyone".
The Chief Minister, who organised his swearing-in ceremony at Nagarjuna Nagar between Vijayawada and Guntur last Sunday, is keen that the region be developed into the capital of the new state given its central location.
The plan is to develop Vijayawada and Guntur, which already have good infrastructure, into "smart cities" as planned by the Central Government.
The sources said Naidu emphasised on certain "key points" to be taken into consideration before finalising the new seat of power for Andhra Pradesh, which lost Hyderabad to Telangana post bifurcation though the city will be the common capital for both states for ten years.
The capital, according to the CM, should have a "Brand Identity" that will "stand for all the values and virtues that we Telugus stand for, and should also be a revenue-generating centre and not just an administrative headquarters".
The Chief Minister said the capital should have plenty of water resources to support the high-density population.
"Getting in the needed investments is crucial to build the (capital) city's infrastructure. Attracting a multitude of industries will be one of the top priorities of our Government," Naidu reportedly told the panel.
"Keeping in mind the unique financial situation and revenue limitations that have been thrust upon us by the untimely division of the state, it is our responsibility to unite and face the obstacles of building a new capital city with courage," he noted.
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